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    <title>Zelig's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:Zelig</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/Zelig/39461/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t126912p383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
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<strong>Title:</strong> Zelig<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 1983<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Woody Allen<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> Leonard Zelig, the "human chameleon", is profiled in this mock-documentary. Director <a href="/players/P____79388/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Woody Allen</a> appears as Zelig in scenes that purport to be vintage newsreel clips of the 1920s and 1930s, but are actually clever recreations, "aged" and scratched-up <a href=/films/6239/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Citizen Kane</a>-style by special-effects maestros Joel Hynick, Stuart Robinson and R. Greenberg Associates. An appropriately pompous narrator details the life and times of Leonard Zelig, whose overwhelming desire for conformity is manifested in his ability to take on the facial and vocal characteristics of whomever he happens to be around at the moment. He shows up at batting practice with Babe Ruth, among William Randolph Hearst's guests as San Simeon, side by side with Pope Pius at the Vatican, and peering anxiously over the shoulder of Adolf Hitler at the Nuremberg Rally. Becoming a celebrity in his own right, Zelig inspires a song, a dance craze, and a Warner Bros. biopic. <a href="/players/P____22809/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mia Farrow</a> plays Dr. Eudora Fletcher , a psychiatrist who tries to "reach" Zelig and ultimately falls in love with him (all of Farrow's scenes are in black-and-white and allegedly culled from archive footage; <a href="/players/P____26047/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ellen Garrison</a>, whose resemblance to Farrow is uncanny, plays the older Dr. Fletcher in the interview sequences). In the manner of <a href=/films/28506/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Reds</a>, the influence of the fictional Leonard Zelig on popular culture is discussed by such real-life notables as Susan Sontag, Irving Howe, Saul Bellow and Dr. Bruno Bettenheim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 14<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 2<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:41:33 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>Zelig</spout:Title><spout:Year>1983</spout:Year><spout:Director>Woody Allen</spout:Director><spout:Plot>Leonard Zelig, the "human chameleon", is profiled in this mock-documentary. Director &lt;a href="/players/P____79388/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Woody Allen&lt;/a&gt; appears as Zelig in scenes that purport to be vintage newsreel clips of the 1920s and 1930s, but are actually clever recreations, "aged" and scratched-up &lt;a href=/films/6239/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Citizen Kane&lt;/a&gt;-style by special-effects maestros Joel Hynick, Stuart Robinson and R. Greenberg Associates. An appropriately pompous narrator details the life and times of Leonard Zelig, whose overwhelming desire for conformity is manifested in his ability to take on the facial and vocal characteristics of whomever he happens to be around at the moment. He shows up at batting practice with Babe Ruth, among William Randolph Hearst's guests as San Simeon, side by side with Pope Pius at the Vatican, and peering anxiously over the shoulder of Adolf Hitler at the Nuremberg Rally. Becoming a celebrity in his own right, Zelig inspires a song, a dance craze, and a Warner Bros. biopic. &lt;a href="/players/P____22809/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Mia Farrow&lt;/a&gt; plays Dr. Eudora Fletcher , a psychiatrist who tries to "reach" Zelig and ultimately falls in love with him (all of Farrow's scenes are in black-and-white and allegedly culled from archive footage; &lt;a href="/players/P____26047/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Ellen Garrison&lt;/a&gt;, whose resemblance to Farrow is uncanny, plays the older Dr. Fletcher in the interview sequences). In the manner of &lt;a href=/films/28506/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Reds&lt;/a&gt;, the influence of the fictional Leonard Zelig on popular culture is discussed by such real-life notables as Susan Sontag, Irving Howe, Saul Bellow and Dr. Bruno Bettenheim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>2</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Slightly Tagged (1-5)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>14</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>2</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>2</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t126912p383.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/Zelig/39461/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 15 Characters Who Unconvincingly Play Another Race</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/8/33761.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t126912p383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 8/8/2008 2:00:37 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
Yesterday’s list dealt with Tom Cruise’s performance in Tropic Thunder. Today, a response to Robert Downey Jr.’s role in the same film as a white actor portraying a black soldier in a war movie (seen in the above clip). Doesn’t it seem such an original and shocking idea? I guess not if you see it as an update on blackface. Fortunately, it’s different when it’s an actor playing a character who makes himself up to look black. It’s funny. But isn’t it typically more acceptable when the make-up isn’t quite as authentic-looking as Downey’s? He actually looks black. Specifically, he looks like Fred Williamson.
I’ve seen plenty of lists detailing the worst instances of one race or nationality playing characters of another race/nationality (John Wayne and Susan Hayward in The Conqueror comes to mind as #1), but I can’t recall any lists involving actors playing characters disguised as or playing another race. So here’s one:

 
My Geisha (”Lucy Dell”/”Yoko Mori”) - Shirley Maclaine is an American movie star who fools her filmmaker husband when she disguises herself as Japanese in order to win the lead role in his latest movie. She’s so good that throughout the whole production, he thinks he’s shamefully falling for a woman who isn’t his wife. But really, she’s not so much passing for Japanese as she is passing for the look of a geisha, which itself is not an ethnicity but a costume. Still, the makeup designer (Shu Uemura) pinned Maclaine’s eyes back in a way that wasn’t always done for “yellowface” in Hollywood films. The method (seen here) looks like it must have been excruciatingly painful.

Gambit (”Nicole Chang”) - A few years after My Geisha, Maclaine played white playing Asian again in this crime caper starring Michael Caine, but this time her primary character is apparently part-Asian already, hence her surname, Chang. So, I guess she’s more like Eurasian playing more exaggerated Asian.

Shanghai Noon (”Chon Wang”) - Did you know that Chinese and Native Americans look the same? You don’t even have to do anything cosmetic. Well, maybe some war paint. Otherwise, just put some Native American dress on Jackie Chan, and he’ll pass as an Injun. Or a Jew? (see this gag).

Once Upon a Time in China and America (”Wong Fei-Hung”) - In that part of Shanghai Noon, Chan’s racial “transformation” was likely referencing this film, directed by his oft-collaborator Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, in which an amnesia-inflicted Jet Li mistakes himself for Native American. Which is even more ridiculous when considering that all the Native Americans in this sixth installment of the Once Upon a Time in China series were apparently played by white actors.

Black Like Me (”John Finley Horton”) - The problem with this adaptation of John Howard Griffin’s memoir is that James Whitmore doesn’t look all that convincing as a black guy. Eddie Murphy was more convincing the other way around in the old SNL skit when he goes undercover as a white man.

Soul Man (”Mark Watson”) - Even C. Thomas Howell looked more black in this unofficial remake. The thing I truly don’t buy with this movie, though, is how Rae Dawn Chong’s character forgives him and even falls for him at the end despite the fact that he pretended to be another race to win the scholarship she should have won. That couple belongs on the list I compiled earlier this year of romances that probably didn’t last.
True Identity (”Miles Pope”) - Going back to the Eddie Murphy thing, I never realized that this early ’90s comedy was actually a feature-length spin-off of that SNL skit (both were written by Andy Breckman) combined with the ol’ accidental murder witness plot of Some Like It Hot, Pineapple Express, etc. Here, the witness is a black actor (British comedian Lenny Henry) who disguises himself as white. I’ve never seen True Identity, nor can I even find any stills from the movie (the image above comes from the Siskel & Ebert review), but in the Washington Post review, Henry is said to resemble Mr. Potato Head more than an actual white guy.

Trading Places (”Louis Winthorpe III”) - Another Eddie Murphy connection. Here it’s Dan Aykroyd, though, whose character changes race. Let me tell you: I know this reggae singer who sounds authentically Jamaican and almost seems to think he’s actually Jamaican. But he’s still just a white guy in dreads. Yet I have to give him credit for being more passable as Jamaican than Louis.

Silver Streak (”George Cardwell”) - Maybe it’s just easier to fool people on trains. A few years before Aykroyd’s character did it in Trading Places, Gene Wilder’s character attempted to look black in order to sneak past some cops and get onto a train. I get the tradition to portray policemen as stupid, but nobody is that stupid.

The Master of Disguise (”Pistachio Disguisey”) - Among the many disguises Dana Carvey’s character takes on in this lame comedy, a few are offensively ethnic, including Indian and Cuban (really just an impersonation of Al Pacino as Tony Montana from Scarface). The fact that this guy is supposed to be the greatest master of disguises is upsetting. The fact that so many children saw the thing was even more upsetting.

Zelig (”Leonard Zelig”) - The titular “Chameleon Man” character of Woody Allen’s mockumentary also “becomes” other ethnicities, such as African American, Chinese and Native American. The fact that he always still just looks like Woody Allen is part of the joke, though.
Torch Song (”Jenny Stewart”) - Most of the time I don’t even buy Joan Crawford as a white woman, but in this movie her character performs in blackface for the infamous number “Two Faced Woman,” and she looks even less authentic as an African American woman. Maybe one day I’ll figure out what race and gender I would have actually accepted her as. Sexless alien creature? (YouTube clip, unauthorized for embedding, can be found here).

L’eclisse (”Vittoria”) - Maybe I’m just used to seeing women with too much bronzer or too many tanning salon visits, but when Monica Vitti’s character goes blackface for a tribal dance in this Antonioni film, she simply looks like a white girl who has darkened her skin. I guess she’s not really trying to pass (neither is Crawford in Torch Song), but her costume isn’t traditional minstrel-type blackface, either.
Krippendorf’s Tribe (”Shelly Krippendorf”) - To produce a fake documentary program on a made up lost tribe, James Krippendorf (Richard Dreyfuss) disguises his children in black skin and junky tribal costume. But as even his daughter (Natasha Lyonne) admits, she looks more like Tammy Faye Baker than a native of New Guinea.

White Chicks (”Kevin Copeland” and “Marcus Copeland”) - Quite possibly the least convincing racial disguises of all time, Shawn and Marlon Wayans play two FBI agents (so I guess this list is actually of 16 characters) who go undercover as Paris Hilton types. But they look like a cross between a Michael Jackson Halloween mask and Eric Stoltz in Mask.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:00:37 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>8/8/2008 2:00:37 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
Yesterday’s list dealt with Tom Cruise’s performance in Tropic Thunder. Today, a response to Robert Downey Jr.’s role in the same film as a white actor portraying a black soldier in a war movie (seen in the above clip). Doesn’t it seem such an original and shocking idea? I guess not if you see it as an update on blackface. Fortunately, it’s different when it’s an actor playing a character who makes himself up to look black. It’s funny. But isn’t it typically more acceptable when the make-up isn’t quite as authentic-looking as Downey’s? He actually looks black. Specifically, he looks like Fred Williamson.
I’ve seen plenty of lists detailing the worst instances of one race or nationality playing characters of another race/nationality (John Wayne and Susan Hayward in The Conqueror comes to mind as #1), but I can’t recall any lists involving actors playing characters disguised as or playing another race. So here’s one:

 
My Geisha (”Lucy Dell”/”Yoko Mori”) - Shirley Maclaine is an American movie star who fools her filmmaker husband when she disguises herself as Japanese in order to win the lead role in his latest movie. She’s so good that throughout the whole production, he thinks he’s shamefully falling for a woman who isn’t his wife. But really, she’s not so much passing for Japanese as she is passing for the look of a geisha, which itself is not an ethnicity but a costume. Still, the makeup designer (Shu Uemura) pinned Maclaine’s eyes back in a way that wasn’t always done for “yellowface” in Hollywood films. The method (seen here) looks like it must have been excruciatingly painful.

Gambit (”Nicole Chang”) - A few years after My Geisha, Maclaine played white playing Asian again in this crime caper starring Michael Caine, but this time her primary character is apparently part-Asian already, hence her surname, Chang. So, I guess she’s more like Eurasian playing more exaggerated Asian.

Shanghai Noon (”Chon Wang”) - Did you know that Chinese and Native Americans look the same? You don’t even have to do anything cosmetic. Well, maybe some war paint. Otherwise, just put some Native American dress on Jackie Chan, and he’ll pass as an Injun. Or a Jew? (see this gag).

Once Upon a Time in China and America (”Wong Fei-Hung”) - In that part of Shanghai Noon, Chan’s racial “transformation” was likely referencing this film, directed by his oft-collaborator Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, in which an amnesia-inflicted Jet Li mistakes himself for Native American. Which is even more ridiculous when considering that all the Native Americans in this sixth installment of the Once Upon a Time in China series were apparently played by white actors.

Black Like Me (”John Finley Horton”) - The problem with this adaptation of John Howard Griffin’s memoir is that James Whitmore doesn’t look all that convincing as a black guy. Eddie Murphy was more convincing the other way around in the old SNL skit when he goes undercover as a white man.

Soul Man (”Mark Watson”) - Even C. Thomas Howell looked more black in this unofficial remake. The thing I truly don’t buy with this movie, though, is how Rae Dawn Chong’s character forgives him and even falls for him at the end despite the fact that he pretended to be another race to win the scholarship she should have won. That couple belongs on the list I compiled earlier this year of romances that probably didn’t last.
True Identity (”Miles Pope”) - Going back to the Eddie Murphy thing, I never realized that this early ’90s comedy was actually a feature-length spin-off of that SNL skit (both were written by Andy Breckman) combined with the ol’ accidental murder witness plot of Some Like It Hot, Pineapple Express, etc. Here, the witness is a black actor (British comedian Lenny Henry) who disguises himself as white. I’ve never seen True Identity, nor can I even find any stills from the movie (the image above comes from the Siskel &amp; Ebert review), but in the Washington Post review, Henry is said to resemble Mr. Potato Head more than an actual white guy.

Trading Places (”Louis Winthorpe III”) - Another Eddie Murphy connection. Here it’s Dan Aykroyd, though, whose character changes race. Let me tell you: I know this reggae singer who sounds authentically Jamaican and almost seems to think he’s actually Jamaican. But he’s still just a white guy in dreads. Yet I have to give him credit for being more passable as Jamaican than Louis.

Silver Streak (”George Cardwell”) - Maybe it’s just easier to fool people on trains. A few years before Aykroyd’s character did it in Trading Places, Gene Wilder’s character attempted to look black in order to sneak past some cops and get onto a train. I get the tradition to portray policemen as stupid, but nobody is that stupid.

The Master of Disguise (”Pistachio Disguisey”) - Among the many disguises Dana Carvey’s character takes on in this lame comedy, a few are offensively ethnic, including Indian and Cuban (really just an impersonation of Al Pacino as Tony Montana from Scarface). The fact that this guy is supposed to be the greatest master of disguises is upsetting. The fact that so many children saw the thing was even more upsetting.

Zelig (”Leonard Zelig”) - The titular “Chameleon Man” character of Woody Allen’s mockumentary also “becomes” other ethnicities, such as African American, Chinese and Native American. The fact that he always still just looks like Woody Allen is part of the joke, though.
Torch Song (”Jenny Stewart”) - Most of the time I don’t even buy Joan Crawford as a white woman, but in this movie her character performs in blackface for the infamous number “Two Faced Woman,” and she looks even less authentic as an African American woman. Maybe one day I’ll figure out what race and gender I would have actually accepted her as. Sexless alien creature? (YouTube clip, unauthorized for embedding, can be found here).

L’eclisse (”Vittoria”) - Maybe I’m just used to seeing women with too much bronzer or too many tanning salon visits, but when Monica Vitti’s character goes blackface for a tribal dance in this Antonioni film, she simply looks like a white girl who has darkened her skin. I guess she’s not really trying to pass (neither is Crawford in Torch Song), but her costume isn’t traditional minstrel-type blackface, either.
Krippendorf’s Tribe (”Shelly Krippendorf”) - To produce a fake documentary program on a made up lost tribe, James Krippendorf (Richard Dreyfuss) disguises his children in black skin and junky tribal costume. But as even his daughter (Natasha Lyonne) admits, she looks more like Tammy Faye Baker than a native of New Guinea.

White Chicks (”Kevin Copeland” and “Marcus Copeland”) - Quite possibly the least convincing racial disguises of all time, Shawn and Marlon Wayans play two FBI agents (so I guess this list is actually of 16 characters) who go undercover as Paris Hilton types. But they look like a cross between a Michael Jackson Halloween mask and Eric Stoltz in Mask.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: One Of My Favorite Woody Films</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/archive/2007/10/10/20594.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t126912p383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/98071/default.aspx'>JakeStevens</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/jakestevens/default.aspx'>JakeStevens Blog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 10/10/2007 3:55:52 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Filmmaking at it&#39;s most original and finest! Woody Allen&#39;s mockumentary precedes Forrest Gump&#39;s character assimilation into historical footage by over a decade (Zelig was released theatrically in July of 1983). Genius! Everything about this film is great - the original songs, the aged look of the film, the narration, even the acting (not the Woodman&#39;s strong suit) is spot-on. The quirkiest neurotic-romantic-comedy-mock-documentary you&#39;ll ever witness. I&#39;ve never seen this for rent at any store, but if you can find this rarity, watch it! You won&#39;t be disappointed!<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:55:52 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>JakeStevens</spout:postby><spout:postto>JakeStevens Blog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>10/10/2007 3:55:52 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Filmmaking at it&amp;#39;s most original and finest! Woody Allen&amp;#39;s mockumentary precedes Forrest Gump&amp;#39;s character assimilation into historical footage by over a decade (Zelig was released theatrically in July of 1983). Genius! Everything about this film is great - the original songs, the aged look of the film, the narration, even the acting (not the Woodman&amp;#39;s strong suit) is spot-on. The quirkiest neurotic-romantic-comedy-mock-documentary you&amp;#39;ll ever witness. I&amp;#39;ve never seen this for rent at any store, but if you can find this rarity, watch it! You won&amp;#39;t be disappointed!</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_black_and_white_movies_made_after_1970/190/6030/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t126912p383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/190/discussions.aspx'>Top 5</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/4/2007 11:20:33 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> [quote user="BigJeffLebowski"]5. Lenny[/quote]Huh, I&#39;ve never seen the movie Lenny.  I&#39;d heard of it but never even realized it was in black and white.  Would you recommend really listening to some recordings of Lenny Bruce before actually seeing the movie to get prepared?[quote user="BigJeffLebowski"]No one really brings this up when they mention the film, but I think the monetary restraints on the original Clerks (black and white, stationary camera) give the film a certain security-camera feel that really helps the juxtaposition of the mundane and the outlandish, and is part of the reason Clerks is able to assimilate the two so well.[/quote]You say this is never brought up, but I thought I actually heard Smith himself claim that was the effect in mind even when he was shooting it.  I could be mistaken though.  I&#39;ve definitely heard that security camera type of angle discussed before though.[quote user="BigJeffLebowski"]And shouldn&#39;t we have special mention for films that either spot-color or switch between black and white and color for more than simply flashbacks?  For instance: Rumble Fish, American History X, Pleasantville, Memento, Wings of Desire, Zelig, The Notorious Bettie Page?[/quote]The movie If.... also switchs between color and black and white, and although it was commended by critics as some kind of artistic choice, it turns out it was merely due to their budget forcing them to swtich to black and white stock at a certain point in the shoot.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:20:33 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Top 5</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/4/2007 11:20:33 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>[quote user="BigJeffLebowski"]5. Lenny[/quote]Huh, I&amp;#39;ve never seen the movie Lenny.  I&amp;#39;d heard of it but never even realized it was in black and white.  Would you recommend really listening to some recordings of Lenny Bruce before actually seeing the movie to get prepared?[quote user="BigJeffLebowski"]No one really brings this up when they mention the film, but I think the monetary restraints on the original Clerks (black and white, stationary camera) give the film a certain security-camera feel that really helps the juxtaposition of the mundane and the outlandish, and is part of the reason Clerks is able to assimilate the two so well.[/quote]You say this is never brought up, but I thought I actually heard Smith himself claim that was the effect in mind even when he was shooting it.  I could be mistaken though.  I&amp;#39;ve definitely heard that security camera type of angle discussed before though.[quote user="BigJeffLebowski"]And shouldn&amp;#39;t we have special mention for films that either spot-color or switch between black and white and color for more than simply flashbacks?  For instance: Rumble Fish, American History X, Pleasantville, Memento, Wings of Desire, Zelig, The Notorious Bettie Page?[/quote]The movie If.... also switchs between color and black and white, and although it was commended by critics as some kind of artistic choice, it turns out it was merely due to their budget forcing them to swtich to black and white stock at a certain point in the shoot.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re: Top 5 black and white movies made after 1970</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_black_and_white_movies_made_after_1970/190/6017/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t126912p383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5310/default.aspx'>BigJeffLebowski</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/190/discussions.aspx'>Top 5</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 3/4/2007 1:35:04 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Manhattan&#39;s my favorite film, so that&#39;s obviously going to have to be my number one.  Beyond that, though, the question must be raised: how much can the mere aesthetics of the film affect our selections?  There are some black and white films which are beautifully shot, but are not as good as a Jarmusch or Clerks.  Trying to focus on the film itself, I&#39;m going to have to say:1. Manhattan (and also Stardust Memories and Broadway Danny Rose by Allen)2.The Last Picture Show3. Raging Bull4. Pi5. LennyThese are all films which I think are superb upon their own merits, but the fact that they are in black and white adds a new dimension.No one really brings this up when they mention the film, but I think the monetary restraints on the original Clerks (black and white, stationary camera) give the film a certain security-camera feel that really helps the juxtaposition of the mundane and the outlandish, and is part of the reason Clerks is able to assimilate the two so well.I really agree with everyone who said Man Bites Dog, Ed Wood, Good Night and Good Luck, The Man Who Wasn&#39;t There, and the David Lynch films, but we are limited to five...And shouldn&#39;t we have special mention for films that either spot-color or switch between black and white and color for more than simply flashbacks?  For instance: Rumble Fish, American History X, Pleasantville, Memento, Wings of Desire, Zelig, The Notorious Bettie Page? <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 04 Mar 2007 18:35:04 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>BigJeffLebowski</spout:postby><spout:postto>Top 5</spout:postto><spout:postdate>3/4/2007 1:35:04 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Manhattan&amp;#39;s my favorite film, so that&amp;#39;s obviously going to have to be my number one.  Beyond that, though, the question must be raised: how much can the mere aesthetics of the film affect our selections?  There are some black and white films which are beautifully shot, but are not as good as a Jarmusch or Clerks.  Trying to focus on the film itself, I&amp;#39;m going to have to say:1. Manhattan (and also Stardust Memories and Broadway Danny Rose by Allen)2.The Last Picture Show3. Raging Bull4. Pi5. LennyThese are all films which I think are superb upon their own merits, but the fact that they are in black and white adds a new dimension.No one really brings this up when they mention the film, but I think the monetary restraints on the original Clerks (black and white, stationary camera) give the film a certain security-camera feel that really helps the juxtaposition of the mundane and the outlandish, and is part of the reason Clerks is able to assimilate the two so well.I really agree with everyone who said Man Bites Dog, Ed Wood, Good Night and Good Luck, The Man Who Wasn&amp;#39;t There, and the David Lynch films, but we are limited to five...And shouldn&amp;#39;t we have special mention for films that either spot-color or switch between black and white and color for more than simply flashbacks?  For instance: Rumble Fish, American History X, Pleasantville, Memento, Wings of Desire, Zelig, The Notorious Bettie Page? </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:identity</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/identity/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/identity/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>identity</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 595</br><br/>
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<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 91</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:43:41 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>595</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>53</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>91</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:transformation</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/transformation/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/transformation/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>transformation</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 436</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 26</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 40</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:42 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>436</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>26</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>40</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:mockumentary</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/mockumentary/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/mockumentary/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>mockumentary</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 28</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 25</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 35</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:38:42 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>28</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>25</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>35</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:celebrity</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/celebrity/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/celebrity/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>celebrity</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 504</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 19</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 49</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:09:23 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>504</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>19</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>49</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:psychiatrist</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/psychiatrist/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/psychiatrist/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>psychiatrist</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 218</br><br/>
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<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 15</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:13:22 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>218</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>11</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>15</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:conformity</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/conformity/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/conformity/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>conformity</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 21</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 5</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 5</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:24:06 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>21</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>5</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>5</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:archivalfootage</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/archivalfootage/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/archivalfootage/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>archivalfootage</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 595</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:04:09 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>595</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:mock-documentary</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/mock-documentary/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/mock-documentary/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>mock-documentary</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 1</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:23:59 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>1</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:newsreels</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/newsreels/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/newsreels/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>newsreels</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 240</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 0</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 0</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:03:25 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>240</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>0</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>0</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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